Roda Viva

Roda Viva (Chico Buarque)

Tem dias que a gente se sente

Como quem partiu ou morreu

A gente estancou de repente

Ou foi o mundo então que cresceu...

A gente quer ter voz ativa

No nosso destino mandar

Mas eis que chega a roda viva

E carrega o destino prá lá ...

Roda mundo, roda gigante

Roda moinho, roda pião

O tempo rodou num instante

Nas voltas do meu coração...

A gente vai contra a corrente

Até não poder resistir

Na volta do barco é que sente

O quanto deixou de cumprir

Faz tempo que a gente cultiva

A mais linda roseira que há

Mas eis que chega a roda viva

E carrega a roseira prá lá...

Roda mundo, roda gigante

Roda moinho, roda pião

O tempo rodou num instante

Nas voltas do meu coração...

A roda da saia mulata

Não quer mais rodar não senhor

Não posso fazer serenata

A roda de samba acabou...

A gente toma a iniciativa

Viola na rua a cantar

Mas eis que chega a roda viva

E carrega a viola prá lá...

Roda mundo, roda gigante

Roda moinho, roda pião

O tempo rodou num instante

Nas voltas do meu coração...

O samba, a viola, a roseira

Que um dia a fogueira queimou

Foi tudo ilusão passageira

Que a brisa primeira levou...

No peito a saudade cativa

Faz força pro tempo parar

Mas eis que chega a roda viva

E carrega a saudade prá lá ...

Roda mundo, roda gigante

Roda moinho, roda pião

O tempo rodou num instante

Nas voltas do meu coração...

Wheel of Life (translated by KT)

There are times that makes me feel

As if I am gone or died

Have I beome completely stagnant

Or has the world grown, expanded too large

We want to raise an active voice

That determines our own destiny

But then comes the wheel of life

Carrying our destinies far away

World spinning around, the gigantic wheel

Mills keep on spinning, spinning like a top

Time twirled in an instant

In its return to my heart

We go against the tide and the current

Until we reach to our limits

It's in the return trip on the boat

That we realize just how much could not be achieved

What we have been nurturing for a long time

The most beautiful garden of rose

But then comes the wheel of life

Carrying the roses far away

World spinning around, the gigantic wheel

Mills keep on spinning, spinning like a top
Time twirled in an instant
In its return to my heart

The twirling of the dancer's skirt

But she says, I don't want to twirl no more

I can no longer create a serenata

The round of samba is over

We attempt to take the initiative

With a guitar, singing in the streets

But then comes the wheel of life

Carrying the guitar far away

World spinning around, the gigantic wheel
Mills keep on spinning, spinning like a top
Time twirled in an instant
In its return to my heart

The samba, the guitar and the roses
All got burnt in the bonfire
Everything has now beome an illusion
That the breeze has carried away

My heart suffering from saudade
Trying to force the time to stop so hard
But then comes the wheel of life
Carrying my saudade far away

World spinning around, the gigantic wheel
Mills keep on spinning, spinning like a top

Time twirled in an instant

In its return to my heart

This song was originally written as a protest song against the miltary regime in Brasil 1968, hence you see strong messages hidden behind the elegant phrases written by Chico, so as not to make the protest message too obvious.  But again, I somehow feel that this song applies to our everyday life where the wheel of life could suddenly change our destiny, our lives and even who we are - I've experience so many times myself.